Ex, Oh.

I really don't have anything to say about the death of Elliott Smith, but today, on the The Negro Problem mailing list, Stew, also of Silverlake, had something to say which, I believe, deserves a larger audience:

folks,
for many of us this terribly sad info will come as no surprise whatsoever. anyone even remotely "silverlake" or "pop geekish" or just unfortunate enough to have ever seen him in live meltdown mode was quite familiar with Smith's condition.

What makes me really angry is how, just as in the case of cobain, record companies, managers, promoters and anyone else primed to make cash off the artist are happy to keep mum on the subject of whatever hell the artist is going thru instead of publicly calling attention to what may have started as a lifestyle choice but has clearly turned into a disease. And the record companies always win cuz for them the only thing better than young and cute is dead and mythic.

Everyone in silverlake has a truckload of smith stories they'll be trading over capucino today. I heard stories from people who worked closely with him (we worked in the same studio for a time) that were frightfully sad but on further reflection made me angry at all the people around him who juiced him instead of helped him.

And a word to all those "fans" who love to trade stories about how fucked up their favorite problematic rock star was at this or that show -- you lot are part of the problem as well. People with drug problems are to be pitied and helped, not glorified.

I dont know which clique disgusts me more - the sick vulture fans who love to see their stars stumble and fall or the suits who stand to make a bundle while giving a really sensitive quote about Smith's artistry to rollingstone.com.

Amen, Stew. Rest in peace, Elliott.